Kennedy calls for unionists to ‘unlock the doors’

In the wake of last week’s Assembly election, Ulster Unionist Danny Kennedy says there now needs to be meaningful discussion between unionist parties to “unlock the doors” and agree a way forward.

Mr Kennedy was one of 16 former unionist MLAs who lost their seats in the election, and there is now a non-unionist majority at Stormont for the first time since devolution.

He says there needs to be conversation about the way forward for unionism in the north.

“(To) everyone in the house of unionism, I think there’s now a duty to open the connecting doors which have been locked between the various factions… the various interests within unionism. It’s time to unlock those doors and to allow a deep conversation and a genuine assessment as to where we are,” he said.

Commenting on the future of the union, he added: “I think in any referendum a majority of the population will still vote to remain part of the United Kingdom, but I think we do need a conversation within unionism as to how best we now move forward.”